Persicaria plant named ‘Blackfield’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Persicaria  plant named ‘Blackfield’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; dark red-colored flowers; freely and continuous flowering habit; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Persicaria amplexicaulis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Blackfield’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPersicaria plant, botanically known as Persicaria amplexicaulis, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Blackfield.

The new Persicaria is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Oedelem (Beernem), Belgium. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new Persicaria cultivars with attractiveflower coloration.

The new Persicaria originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2001 in Oedelem (Beernem), Belgium of an unnamed selectionof Persicaria amplexicaulis, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unnamed selection of Persicaria amplexicaulis, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Persicaria wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inOedelem (Beernem), Belgium during the summer of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Oedelem(Beernem), Belgium since 2002, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Persicaria are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Blackfield have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Blackfield’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Blackfield’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPersicaria:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Dark red-colored flowers.    -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Persicaria differ primarily from plants of the parentselections in flower color as plants of the parent selections havelighter red-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Persicariahave more attractive fall coloration than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Persicaria can be compared to the Persicariaamplexicaulis cultivar Taurus, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,682.Plants of the new differ from plants of the cultivar Taurus in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Persicaria have darker green-colored leaves        than plants of the cultivar Taurus.    -   2. Plants of the new Persicaria have darker red-colored flowers        than plants of the cultivar Taurus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Persicaria.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Blackfield’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Blackfield’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view ofthe upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Blackfield’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands, in an outdoornursery and under commercial production practices during the summer andfall. Plants were about two years old when the photographs anddescription were taken. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 12 to 24° C. and night temperatures ranged from4 to 12° C. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Persicaria amplexicaulis cultivar    Blackfield.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Persicaria            amplexicaulis, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Persicaria amplexicaulis,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 30 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant.—About 50 days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; moderately fine; very dark brown            to almost black in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and outwardly spreading; broad            inverted triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 66 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 76 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 46 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Internode length: About 9.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 13.1 cm. Width: About 5.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Cordate. Margin: Finely and irregularly            serrate; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent, scabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing leaves, upper surface: Between 137A and 143A.            Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: 137C to 138A.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 137B and 146A.            Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137C to 138A.            Venation, upper surface: 148B. Venation, lower surface: 145B            to 145C. Petiole length: About 2.5 cm. Petiole diameter:            About 3 mm. Petiole color: 145A to 145B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in            terminal racemes; flowers face outward to slightly upright.            Freely flowering habit with about 165 flower buds and            flowers per inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from late            August through October in The Netherlands. Flowers not            persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the            plant.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 7.7 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Color: 59A to 60A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 6 mm. Depth: About 5 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Lobe width: About 2 mm. Shape:            Ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            When opening and fully opened petals, upper surface: 53B;            color becoming closer to 187C to 187D with development. When            opening and fully opened petals, lower surface: 53A to 60A.        -   Sepals.—Sepals have not been observed.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 12.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Aspect: About 10° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color:            144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Aspect: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately            strong. Color: 53A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            seven. Filament length: About 3.5 mm. Filament color: 53B;            towards the base, 53C. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther            length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: 202A. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: 202D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            Typically three. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape:            Acute. Stigma color: 53A. Style length: About 3.8 mm. Style            color: 53B. Ovary color: 165B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Persicaria have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Persicaria.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Persicaria have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind, are hardy    to USDA Zone 5 and tolerate temperatures as high as 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Persicaria plant named ‘Blackfield’,as illustrated and described.